Polyamines are known to react with alkylene carbonates to form 2-hydroxyalkyl urethanes. This reaction occurs by merely heating the two reactants at 100.degree. C. (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,122,068: 4,122,069 and 4,484,994).
Products containing amino terminal groups and polyether and urea moieties in their backbone have long been known. One method for preparing amino-terminal polyethers having urea groups involves the following reactions of urea with diamines ##STR1## (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,002,598; 4,115,360: 4,116,938; 4,178,427 and DE 2,748,705). Such materials have been used in combination with aldehydes as epoxy curing agents.
By slightly changing the stoichiometry of the reactants, polymers have been made containing urea end groups and polyether and urea groups in their backbone such as ##STR2## (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,141,855 and 4,356,275). Such polymers have been used in combination with aldehydes as epoxy curing agents.
A second known method of producing amino-terminal polyethers containing urea moieties in their backbone involves the reaction of polyether polyamines with diphenyl carbonate with the removal of phenol as follows: ##STR3## (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,002,598; 4,115,360: and 4,178,427; N. Yamazaki and S. Nakahams, "Polymer Preprints", ACS, Div. Polym. Chem., 20:146 (1979)).
Yet another process has been described for making polymers of the same general structure by reacting polyether polyamines with phosgene in the following manner (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,002,598; 4,115,360 and 4,178,427) ##STR4## These polymers have also been used as epoxy curing agents.
Polymers related thereto have also been made by reacting amino alcohols with phosgene (C. Giori, "Polymer Preprints", ACS, Div. Polym. Chem., 11:326 (1970)).
Still another process for making materials of this type has been reported involving the reaction of polyamines with carbon dioxide in the presence of diphenyl phosphite and pyridine. This process is believed to occur according to the following chemical reaction. ##STR5## (N. Yamazaki, F. Higashi and T. Iguchi, Tetrahedron Letters, 1191 (1974): N. Yamazaki, F. Higashi and T. Iguchi, Tetrahedron, 31:3031 (1975); N. Yamazaki, F. Higashi and T. Iguchi, J. Polym. Sci., Polym. Lett. Ed., 12:517 (1974); and N. Yamazaki, F. Higashi and T. Iguchi, Polym. Ed., 13:785 (1975)).
Polymers have also been prepared by reacting alkylene carbonates with hexamethylenediamine. (G. Cameresi, S. Fumasoni, M. Palazzo and F. Pochetti, Ann. Chim. (Rome), 57:927 (1967)). However, the work was conducted at higher temperatures. As a result, concurrent hydroxyalkylation simultaneously occurred with loss of 30 percent to 40 percent of the alkylation carbonate as carbon dioxide. Further, the work of Cameresi et al. was limited to the use of hexamethylenediamine.
In view of the deficiencies of the conventional polyurea polyamines, it would be highly desirable to provide new materials related to polyurea polyamines but having improved physical and chemical properties, said materials being produced by a simple process.